You’ve probably realized by now that filing for bankruptcy can be a pretty complicated matter. Still, it’s tempting to try to go through the process by yourself in order to save money.

Because your finances are in trouble, you’re trying to find any way possible to save some money. So why shouldn’t you try and proceed without a lawyer in order to save that extra money for when you really need it? Is it OK to file by yourself?

I certainly would not recommend it. Why shouldn’t you try to go it alone in order to save as much money as possible? You are, after all, declaring bankruptcy because your finances are in a mess, right? Well, the truth is that this procedure has become more difficult to accomplish in recent years due to the bankruptcy reform law that was adopted in 2005. The law passed by Congress and signed by President Bush added some restrictions which seek to eliminate abuse of the bankruptcy system.

The means test is probably the most significant change in the bankruptcy law. Its entire goal is to try and make sure that you really need bankruptcy based on your current salary and debt load.

If your salary is lower than the median income for your state, then you don’t even have to bother with taking this test. However, if your income is higher than the median, you’ll be subjected to a more rigorous process before you are allowed to wipe out your debts.

You must be prepared to carefully document your income and expenses, and there are many details that you or your lawyer should be aware of. The process can be quite challenging even for a lawyer, let alone a layperson.

Some people may try to tell you that they were able to do all this by themselves, but chances are that this was before the recent changes in the bankruptcy law. Things are more difficult these days for the lay person to accomplish on his own.

Trying to navigate all the technical details of the bankruptcy code can be very difficult for a layperson. Even lawyers who specialize in bankruptcy have to work hard to keep up with all the latest developments and court rulings regarding personal bankruptcy.